Guidelines

The Jones Family Foundation is passionate about funding organizations and projects that will provide measurable and lasting results. We believe that the most important element of a project is its sustainability, and therefore desire for proposals to demonstrate evidence of that program’s effectiveness both short and long term. Jones Family Foundation grants will be given for causes and organizations that benefit Middle Georgia or are deeply connected to Middle Georgia.

We are especially interested in funding organizations and projects that provide sustainable improvements for our community’s education, religious, and civic endeavors.

Conditions

Grants will be made only to those applicants who have completely executed a proposal form furnished by the Foundation and have supplied the required documentation.

The Jones Family Foundation reserves the right to attach conditions to grants as circumstances warrant.

The Foundation may require additional information, an interview, or a site visit. If a proposal clearly is not within the giving interest of the Foundation, the applicant will be notified.

Clarification of Key Terms

501(c)3 – This is the section of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code that defines organizations as not-for-profit organizations with tax exempt status by reason of charitable activities and purposes. The IRS provides a Letter of Determination to organizations who fall into this category.

If you do not have a 501(c)3 Letter of Determination, please provide the information of your fiscal sponsor in the space provided on the form.

Tax ID number (FIN#) – If your organization is a 501(c)3 you will have a designated Tax ID number which you can find on your IRS Determination letter, your organization’s IRS Form 990 or Form 990EZ, or by using Guidestar at http://www.guidestar.org/.

Total Operating Budget – Total Operating Budget would include all program and administrative costs for your entire organization (not just the project for which you are requesting funding). If you are using a fiscal agent, please put in the information for your organization, not the fiscal agent’s. Your budget information should provide as many details as possible.

What are the Different Types of Requests?

Capacity Building – Capacity building proposals are for enhancing or building the capacity of an organization – actions that improve nonprofit effectiveness by gaining technology, staff training and development, technical assistance for financial systems development, etc.

Capital Campaign – An organized drive to collect and accumulate substantial funds to finance major needs of an organization such as a building, major repair project or building endowment.

General Operating Support – Your request is not for a specific project but to support all your activities for the fiscal year. These are sometimes known as unrestricted grants.

Multi-Year Project – Make this selection if your proposal will span more than 12 months.

Program Support – A request for funding for an existing or new program or project.

Start-up Support – Start-up support is requested to establish a new organization or project.